The end of
freshmen
initiation
tradition
by seniors
Drop
your
paddles -
the party's
over

Drop
your
paddles -
the party's
over". And
so began a
new era at
Brunswick
High
School on
that first
day of
school in
September,
1932.
Having
just
completed
seven
years of
elementary
education
in a
three-room
school at
Point of
Rocks and
moving to
Brunswick
that
summer, my
twin
brother
and I were
not
prepared
for what
was in
store for
us that
morning.
We hadn't
had the
opportunity
to make
many
friends
and to
learn of
our new
school
traditions.
As we
approached
the high
school at
the crest
of the
hill, much
to our
surprise
was a
welcoming
party to
greet us.
Armed with
paddles, a
line of
seniors
were
urging us
to submit
to the
"Initiation"
for new
students
Time
was of the
essence -
should we
submit or
run back
for our
safety and
find
another
route to
get inside
that
building.
AND THEN
IT
HAPPENED!
Someone
yelled
"here
comes the
new
principal"
and all
eyes were
on a
clean-cut,
young man
descending
the steps
from the
south
entrance
door.
As he
approached
the line
of seniors
with that
famous
stern
expression,
he brought
the party
to an end
forever. A
sigh of
relief
followed -
from that
moment on,
Wilbur Devilbiss
was a man
to make an
indelible
impression
on all of
his
students
(and
faculty)
thereafter.
To my
memory,
there
haven't
been many
like him
since.